A Promise Kept
by Aurial Lyte
Summary: Relena reminisces about her wedding day, and the truth she was never meant to discover. 1xR, 1x2


Three years have passed since that day, and I can honestly say that I am truly content with the ways things are. What more could I ask for? I have a fulfilling job, a beautiful house, great friends, a wonderful husband...what more could I possibly want? I know my advisers are worried about me, but they shouldn't be. I knew what I was getting into when I took my vows...I knew that my marriage would not be what people considered "normal." But it was what I wanted...I wanted him with me always, no matter the circumstances. That was why I asked him so many years ago...

I don't know if he fully understood the importance of the question I posed to him. Maybe he really didn't think, at the time, that it would be a huge deal. Since he answered so quickly, I asked him again, just be sure. Yes, he said to me a second time, without hesitation. I don't recall the full set of emotions that I experienced during that moment, but I remembered my heart fluttering in excitement. The man that I chased after all this time; the man that I knew, from the moment we met, I loved, wanted to be with me - to join his life with my own. I was very happy that day.

We didn't marry right away - we were still too young for such a thing. Plus, he needed time to come to terms with his past struggles. He wanted to figure things out on his own, try and answer some burnings questions still lingering in his mind. He couldn't do that with me by his side. As for me, I still had much that I wanted to do before I married - I was the Vice Foreign Minister after all, even though I was still a teenager. So, we parted ways, but not before he promised that he would come back to me someday to fulfill my request.

I held onto that promise for many years, eight to be exact. The day he showed up at my door was one of the most memorable moments of my life. It was raining and I had just finished a conference call with L1 colony officials. We were finalizing the preparations for yet another visit to that region. My advisers and housekeepers didn't inform me of his arrival...perhaps they didn't know. He had a way of showing up unannounced and much unexpected. Imagine my surprise when I stepped out of the four walls of my study to come face-to-face with the man who has always comforted me in my dreams. No words could express the sheer joy I felt in that moment. Before I could reel myself in I wrapped my arms around him and pressed our lips together. Oh how I missed him...I did my best to pour my heart and soul into the kiss, to show him how much he meant to me and how strong my love for him had grown since our time apart. It was pleasant...

We were married not long after. The ceremony itself was small and short, at his insistence. I had no objections - all I wanted was for us to be happy and surrounded by our closest friends and comrades. I couldn't wait to start spending the rest of our lives together. Everyone we knew were in attendance: people we had known since the two Eve wars, and a few others that we met after those events. They all shared in our joy and happiness - I couldn't have asked for a better group of friends.

At the reception, our friends each stopped to tell us congratulations and best wishes for a promising future. Their sincerity was obvious, and I hoped that all of their blessings would come true. We all drank, and laughed, and danced that night...the best and happiest night of my life. I was so wrapped up in the pleasure of it all, that I didn't notice when my husband had slipped away. He was nowhere in sight - not on the dance floor, not at the bar...not even chatting with his close friends. I was speaking with Noin and my brother at the time when I noticed he was gone. I quickly thought that maybe he got sick from drinking too much alcohol. I never pegged him for having a low tolerance level, but still, I began to worry.

After politely excusing myself, I quickly exited the party to search for him. My first thought was to check the bedroom - if he was drunk, surely he would've opted to try and sleep it off, rather than do something reckless. My hand barely touched the rail to the stairs leading up to the second floor before I heard his voice followed by another I didn't quite recognize. They were coming from the sunroom. I slowly made my way over, trying hard not to make a sound. I don't know why I didn't want to be heard...I'm glad that I wasn't.

The door was opened by just a crack. My husband's voice was very audible now...as well as the other...and I knew as soon as he spoke who it was. His was definitely not voice I could ever forget.

"Look, I don't want to cause any trouble for you," he was very soft-spoken, I could barely hear. "I just came here to wish you the best and...to apologize. I didn't mean for things to get so bad between us. I was upset, completely out of my mind miserable...and I was pissed off because you...it doesn't matter."

"...I'm sorry..."

"Hey, it's ok. I understand. She's a great person...smart, beautiful, wealthy...and very well endowed, if you know what I mean, hehe...she's got some pretty sweet qualities, if you ask me." My cheeks burned after hearing that comment. Even after all these years, his quirkiness still hadn't subsided.

"I didn't marry her because of her qualities..."

"Right...you married her because of a promise..." A soft sigh. "Man, you sure know how to pick 'em, huh? I mean, look at this place. You'll be living in the lap of luxury from now on. Good deal...a lot better than sharing a small apartment."

"I didn't mind it..."

"Oh?" he chuckled. "Well I'm glad...at least I know that the time we spent together wasn't all a waste..."

"Duo, I never meant to hurt you. I wanted to stay, really, but-"

"Don't!" I clamped a hand over my mouth prevent the tiny yelp from escaping. I certainly wasn't expecting such a severe response. Had they gotten into a fight? My husband had always spoken so highly of Duo...surely it wasn't a disagreement that couldn't be fixed. I knew it was wrong of me to eavesdrop on their conversation - my husband was entitled to some privacy, but I couldn't help it. I needed to know what was going on...what the underlying issue was...did Duo not support our marriage? I wanted to hear more...I was being greedy...and selfish...and inconsiderate...I learned my lesson.

"Haha, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have yelled. This is supposed to be a happy occasion, and look I'm ruining it for you. You should be out there, enjoying yourself...laughing with our friends...having fun...being with your...wife..." I didn't quite like the way Duo emphasized that last word...

"You're not ruining anything, Duo. In fact, I'm glad that we're talking right now. I was afraid that I would never see you again after the last time we spoke. I was surprised you even showed up."

"Heh, who are you telling? You have no idea how much it took for me to come here. But...I knew that I had to...because I can't move on without coming to terms with...everything. Although, I really didn't want to have this conversation today...it could've waited until tomorrow."

"No. I wanted to talk to you from the moment I saw you come in...it couldn't wait."

"But your party...and your guests-"

"I don't care about that; this is more important." My husband sighed and it sounded like he took a couple steps. "I've made a lot of irresponsible choices in my life...and it seems this one cost me more than I was willing to lose. I didn't know what the consequences were when I made that promise. I thought it was the logical choice. Relena is the symbol of the fragile peace we worked so hard to attain, and I felt it was my duty to protect her, no matter what. My mind was already resolved to that when she asked me to marry her that day. Although I didn't think it necessary, I agreed because...I dunno...I guess I thought that it only made sense. Marriage wasn't a big deal to me...I didn't see it as a lifetime commitment to her..."

"Except that's the definition of marriage."

"Right...like I said, I was irresponsible..."

"And stupid...oh and we can't forget ignorant."

"...are you done?"

Duo chuckled. "Yes, yes, I'm done."

"Anyway...I didn't know the gravity of my decision until I saw you again...and spending all that time with you made me realize that...I-"

"Don't say that."

"...why not?"

"Because it's wrong, that's why! I mean come on, you're married now! You should be saying that to her, not me! God, I knew this was a bad idea..." Duo mumbled something else that I couldn't quite understand, then... "Heero, this isn't easy for me, ok? And you're not making this any easier. How am I supposed to keep my composure if you start saying things like that?"

"What do you want me to say then?"

"I don't know, something - anything you want, besides that."

"Ok...I want to be with you." My heart stopped beating for a split second and I felt my legs threaten to give out from under me. I knew the words that I heard came from my husband's lips...and I wanted to believe that he was directing them at me...but I wasn't in the room. I was cowardly standing outside, listening to a private conversation with someone who he'd known longer than me...who knew him more than I probably ever could...those words were meant for him...not me...and they little by little ripped at my heart. I knew at that moment that I needed to leave...to go back to the party and be surrounded by friendly faces...to hold onto some kind of joy from this night, even as it was slowly slipping from my fingers...but I didn't move...I couldn't...

The shock was very apparent in Duo's voice when he spoke. It seemed he too was not prepared for such a statement either. "Heero...th-that's not what-"

"You told me to say something besides what I had intended. Since you won't let me tell you that I love you, then that seemed more appropriate."

"...do you...wha...I...are you stupid! You can't say that to me!"

"Why not?"

"Because you're married, that's why!"

"So? So what if I married her? I just told you that I don't see marriage as a big deal. It's simply a process - a legal contract between two consenting adults, nothing more than that."

"Nothing more-what are you on drugs! Of course it's much more than that. You stood there and declared to all of our friends and the world that you love that woman and want to be with her for the rest of your life!"

"No I didn't."

"Bullshit, Yuy! I was there - I watched you say 'I do'!"

"Yes, but I never said I loved her. I can't...not knowing that I love you." My heart was breaking...and I could feel hot tears trail down my cheeks. My husband...my love...belonged to another...this was too much for me to bear.

"Heero, stop...please..." Duo's voice quivered as he muttered those words.

"No, Duo...you didn't give me a chance to tell you anything last time. You were too busy screaming at me to let me get a word in. This time I need you to listen to what I have to say."

"I didn't come here to listen to you. I came here to let you go...to put the past behind me and move on with my life. I can't keep this up...and being in love with a married man...I can't do that..."

"Ok...but please listen to me." After a few seconds of silence, my husband continued. "For the past six years, you have been there for me. You let me stay with you as long as I needed to and never asked me to contribute to anything. I left for months at a time, and when I came back, you greeted me with the same smile, no questions asked. You made sure I ate regularly every day and got plenty of rest. When I couldn't sleep, you stayed up with me, even though you were dead tired and ready to pass out. You let me vent for as long as I needed to, never interrupting me or asking me to hurry up. Even when we sat in silence, you never pestered me. You just sat there with me, keeping me company. You took care of me when I was sick with the flu and no matter how much I protested, you made sure I stayed in bed until my fever broke. You were there for me, no matter the circumstances. How could I not fall in love with you after all of that? The day I told you that I loved you was the day I realized that being with you was what I wanted most. For the first time in my life, I felt at peace. As long as I was with you, I was content...I found my home."

"...then why did you leave? If what you're saying is true, then why did you tell me that you needed to be with her?"

"Because my needs and wants were not the same. Duo, I wanted to be with you and only you. I still do...but I gave Relena my word that I would return to her. I needed to fulfill my promise...I couldn't be selfish and only think of myself..."

"Even at the cost of my happiness...?"

"Please believe me...I never meant to hurt you. You are the most important person in my life...I don't want to lose you."

"...I don't want to lose you either. I don't want things to go back to the way they were before you came back into my life. I want to be with you too...I love you...wholeheartedly."

"Then don't push me away..."

"But Heero, you're-"

"It doesn't matter...Duo, I love you. Being with you is what makes me happy. You own my heart...it belongs to you, no else...and no one can take it away from you. I won't allow it."

"Heero..." Duo sighed, "and you own mine...I love you...I love you so much..."

They grew silent after their declarations to each other. I was sure of what was happening, my mind having supplied an image perfect for a such a moment. But, alas, stupid me wanted to see with my own two eyes. I didn't dare push the door all the way open, but I nudged it enough to catch a quick glimpse of the two of them...and my fears were realized.

Their arms wrapped around each other, melding their bodies together as their lips were locked in a most endearing, passionate kiss. My heart sank...my hope was gone, all joy that I felt that day was shattered. Heero Yuy, my husband for all but a few hours, was in the arms of someone else...someone who I knew I could never compete with, nor could I ever surpass. He was Heero's match...I knew that as soon as I witnessed that moment. I have kissed Heero a few times, and never had he held me in such a way. He never held me close enough so that I could feel his heart against my chest...no...Heero didn't love me.

I softly closed the door, making sure that it only made the softest click. I didn't want their moment to end...not yet. Heero was happy...I would not ruin it for him.

As I made my way back to the party, I took off one of my gloves and used it to wipe my face. I couldn't possibly return to my guests looking painfully saddened. That simply would not do. I gussied up in front of a hallway mirror before entering the great room once again. I was quickly met by Dorothy and Quatre, who asked where I had run off to.

"Oh, I needed to powder my face," I said simply while flashing a brilliant smile.

"And Heero? Where is he?" Quatre asked.

"Yes, don't tell me he grew tired already. It's still too early!" Dorothy said, laughing a little.

I laughed politely as well. "No, no. Heero just needed some air. I'm sure he'll return shortly."

I lied to them...and to everyone who asked. It was not my place to explain Heero's whereabouts...and as much as it pained me to know the truth, and I was glad because I knew where I stood in Heero's life.

For three years we stood by each other. He is still very much my husband and I his wife. We are considered the "power couple" in Sanc as well as all over the world and the colonies. Relena Darlian, Vice Foreign Minister and former Queen of the World, advocate for pacifism and the continued improvement of relations between Earth and Space; and Heero Yuy, Gundam Pilot 01, the one who ended the Eve Wars of years AC 195 and 196. We were perfect together...and with Heero by my side, I have been able to accomplish so much. He is extremely supportive, and helps me to remain resilient and overcome the many obstacles that have stood before me in my effort to promote peace. I couldn't have asked for a better husband...

As I look up at the sky, I wonder what he is doing now. It has been a three days since he left for his monthly trip. One week out of every month, he visits the colonies...I know why...and I accept it. All I ask from him is to return to me, which he always does.

He will never love me, I know that. And we will probably never have children. But for me, that is ok. I am content with our life together...his happiness is mine...I will not do anything to ruin it...not matter how much I am hurt in the process...

I love him...and always will.

* * *

A/N: Well that's it. This was something I have been toying with for a little while, and finally decided to finish it. I will not continue this any further, I'm pretty satisfied with the way it is. Anyway, thanks for reading and please take a moment to review. Later! :)


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